Electrical connectors



Jame :i D. J. BLIGHT ETAL 3,324,446

ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS FiledJilly 12; 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1.1. BLIGHT ETAL I ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS June a, 19

Filed July 12, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet June C, 36?

D. J. BLIGHT ETAL ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed Jul 12, 1965 ,5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor D. J. BUG HT PJ- GIBINS June 1957 D. J. BLIGHT ETAL 3,324,446

ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed July 12, 1965 s Shets-Sheet 4 F U P3 Q 1 40 55' a? .56 Z' June fi, 49$? 0. J. BLIGHT ETAL 3,324,446

ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS I Filed July 12,1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor DJ. BMGHT PALS IBBI NS 3,324,446 ELECTRICAL CQNNECTORS Dennis .1. Blight, Cambcrley, Surrey, and Peter .I. Gibhins, London, England, assignors to International Standard Eieetric Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,312 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-91) ABSTRAQT (IF THE DISCLOSURE A connecting tang carried by one half of the connector has a thickened end that is received within a channel in the other connector half, which channel has a widened inner portion. A spring-biased locking member fits into the channel urging the tang into the widened portion to effect a locked connection. The locking member is manually releasable to disconnect the connector halves.

This invention relates to a rnulti-contact electrical connector, and in particular to a means to secure the socalled free half of the connector to the so-called fixed half.

According to the present invention there is provided a locking arrangement for securing the free portion of an electrical connector to the other portion thereof, which includes tangs on one of said portions which when assembled are each received in a channel extending through a body of the other of said portions, said tang having a thickened end portion and each said channel having a widened portion, at least on a locking member having a tongue which fits into a channel on said other connector portion such as to urge the tang in that channel into said channels widened portion, thus locking the portions together, and spring means urging said locking member in the direction to effect said locking.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGURES 1(a), 1(b) and 1(0) show a fixed connector member.

FIGURES 2(a), 2(1)) and 2(0) show a free connector member.

FIGURES 3(a) and 3(b) show a cover for the free connector.

FIGS. 4(a) and (b) show the main items of the free half of the connector.

FIG. 4(a), which is on the same page of the drawings as FIGURES 3(a) and (b), shows the fixed and free connectors in mated condition.

FIG. 4(d) is a detail.

FIGURES 5(a), 5(b), 5(c), 5(d) and 5(e) show the method of captivating the contact elements.

'FIG. 6 shows how the connector and its contacts can be electrically screened.

Referring to FIG. 1 the fixed portion of the connector 1 has a block 2 of polypropylene moulding material through which rectangular bores 3 extend. At the upper end of the bore 3 (FIG. there is on both sides a blind groove 4, and there is also a restriction 5 having lower-facing surfaces 6.

Con-tact elements such as 8a or 812 (see FIG. 5) are held captive in the bores 3, each contact element 8a or 8]; being retained in place between the end 7 of the bores blind groove and the lower facing surface 6. On the upper face 9 of the block 2 are four vertical tangs 10, each of which has on its upper outside surface 11 an enlarged locating edge 12. The block 2 has flanges 13 on all four sides so that it can be mounted to, for instance, an electrical equipment rack. An opposed pair of these flanges can be cut off to leave side or end mounting flanges as required.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the free portion of the connector 14 (contacts not shown) has a block 15, also of polypropylene moulding material, through which rectangular bores 16 and channels 17 extend. The bores 16, like the bore 3 of FIG. 1, contain contact elements such as 8a or fit (FIG. 5). On the outside inner surface of each channel 17 there is a restriction in thickness 18, with an edge 19 shaped to co-operate with the locating edge 12 of one of the tangs 10 of the block 2. These channels 17 are intended each to receive one of the tangs 10. The upper surface 20 of the block 15 has two locating grooves 21 which extend longitudinally into the channel 17. On the surface 20 at the front 22 and the rear 23 are vertical members 24 and 25, of which the front member 24 has at its upper edge a hook-like tongue 26 While the rear member 25 has a circular hole 27 with tWo inwardly extending keys 28.

Referring to FIG. 3, the cover 29 for the free portion is also of polypropylene moulding material, and it has locating portions 31) on each side and a recess 31 on each side. A locking device 32 which has two downwardly-extending slides 33 connected together by a longitudinal portion is fitted into each of the recesses 31. Each locking device 32 is given .a downwards bias by a spring 34. On the inner face of the locking device 32, there is a lip 35 which holds the spring 34 in position. The lefthand or front end 36 of the cover 29 has a rectangular slot 37, and the other end 38 has a circular hole 39 which, when the device is assembled (vide infra) mates with the hole 27 (FIG. 20).

Reference is now directed to FIGS. 4a and b, in which the main portions of the connector are shown. A collet through which .an insulated multi-core cable can pass has a body 4-1 ('FIG. 4b) which has an external thread (not shown) to accommodate a clamping nut 58 and an internal taper 59 which co-operates with collets 60 (FIG. 4a) and the clamping nut 58 to provide clamping on a cable entering the connector. The collet body 41 also incorporates ears &2 (FIG. 4b) which can snap over the member 25 (FIGS. 2a and 2c) on body 15, in the arcuate recess between the two keys 28. The collet body 41 is then held securely on member 25 by the ears 42 and shoulder 51 and is prevented from rotating by the interaction of the side faces 61 of the ears 42 and the keys 28.

With this collet body 41 snapped into the hole in the end member 25 (FIGS. 3a and 4a), the cover 29 may be fitted on the body 15 by feeding its circular hole 39 over the extended end of the collet body 41, so that the hole 39 is close to the shoulders 51 on the collet body 41 which secures the back of the cover 29. The cover 29 is secured to the block 15 (FIGS. 3b and 40) at the front 36 by fitting the portions 30 of the cover 29 into the grooves 21 of the block 15 and pressing downwards, the members 24 and 25 on the block 15 then being inside the cover 29. As the cover 29 is pressed 3 downwards, the action of the cover on the tongue 26 causes the member 24 to be forced inwards (FIG. 401). When the cover 29 is fully pressed home the tongue 26 is adjacent to the slot 37, whereupon the member 24 snaps to its normal vertical position, so that the tongue 26 protrudes through the slot 37. In this position the hole 39 in .the cover 29 and the shoulder 51 on the collet body 41 provide positive location-backed up by the spigotting of member 25 of body 15 into the bight between the dishing 52 of'the top aperture and the rear wall of cover 29 (FIG. 4a). With the collet body 41 mounted in this way, a blanking cap 53 is snapped into an aperture 54 at the top of the cover 29.

Alternatively, when a top cable entry is required the collet body 41 is inserted in the hole 54 in the top face of the cover 29 which is identical to hole 27 on member 25 of body 15. The cover 29 is secured to body 15 as previously described with the exception that the blanking cap 53 takes the place of the collet body 41 in the hole 27.

When the free connector 14 is inserted into the fixed connector 1, see FIG. 40, the tangs of the block 2 enter the lower ends of the bores 17 in the block and during the insertion, the locating edges 12 of the tangs 10 are forced inwards by the protrusions 18. When the fixed connector 14 is fully inserted, the locating edge 12 of the tang 10 will have passed over the protrusion 18 and the tang 10 will have returned to vertical with the locating edge 12 above the co-operating edge 19 of the protrusion 18. As the edge 12 of tang 10 passes over the protrusion 18, the edge 12 being forced in an inwards direction pushes against the lower edge 43 of the slides 33 of the locking members 32. This forces the locking member 32 upwards against the spring 34 until the free connector 14 is fully inserted in the fixed connector 1, whereupon the tang 10. assumes its normal position and the edge 12 ceases to engage the lower edge 43 of the slide 32, allowing the spring 34 to return the slides 33 to a position behind .the tang 10 thereby locking the free half connector 14 to the fixed half. To separate the free half 14 from the fixed half 1, the two locking members 32 are simultaneously pulled upwards, which releases the tangs 10 and permits the locating edge 12 to follow the contour of the protrusion 18 as the free connector 14 is withdrawn.

The clamping of the cable to the cover 29 of the free connector 14 is achieved by a moulded collet 60 which is housed inside the internally tapered form 59 of the collet body 41. The internal form of the collet 60 includes circumferential grooves 62 shaped to provide a good grip on the cable as the collet is compressed onto the cable under the action of the nut 58. Although the moulded collet 60 provides flexibility, the compactness of the overall dimensions of the collet body 41 may limit the angle of the internal taper 59. To overcome this difficulty the connector can be supplied with a series of collets 60 (see FIG. 4d) each of which is designed to cover a limited range of cable sizes. These collets 60 can be produced in one moulding tool and supplied attached .to a common sprue 63 as shown in FIG. 4d. In this case the sprue 63 carries identification numbers 64 which permit easy recognition of the correct size of collet 60.

Referring to FIG. 5 in which FIG. 5a shows a pin contact element and FIG. 5b a socket contact element, both the contact elements have contacting portions 44, solder tags 45, domed shaped indentations 46 and locating louvres 47. The method of holding a contact element (FIG. 5a or 5b) in a bore 3 or 16 is the same. For convenience, the fitting of a socket contact element 8b only (FIG. 5b) into the bore 16 is shown in FIG. 5c. The contact element 8b is pressed into the bore 16 with the contacting portion 44 towards the restriction 5, until shoulders 48 are lodged against the lower surfaces 6 of the restriction 5. The louvres 47 which due to their protrusion have longitudinally compressed the contact during the insertion, spring outwards into the grooves 20, thus trapping the element 8b between the inner surfaces 6 and groove end 7. The dome shaped indentations 46 of the contact elements shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b serve to limit the amount of compression between the contacting portions 44 as shown in FIG. 5e. This limitation on the compression ensures that the contacting surfaces of the contacting portions 44 are under sufficient pressure to provide minimum contact resistance.

Referring to FIG. 6, there are certain applications where screening of the cable wires against external electrical interference is important so that construction of the cable will include an external graded screen within the cover of the connector 14. This screening must be terminated to permit the individual wires to be connected to the contact .terminations. In order to minimise the effect of this screening discontinuity the internal surface of the insulating cover 29 is covered with a conductive film 56. The conductive coating 56 can be applied by a conductive paint, vacuum metalising, or some other technique well known to those skilled in the art and contact with the conductive coating 56 is established by a clip 55 which in turn is snap fitted on to an adjacent contact termination. An insulated lead soldered to this contact termination is connected to the screening and the cable where it terminated just inside the cover.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description of specific examples of this invention is made by way of example only and is not to be considered as a limitation on its scope.

What we claim is:

1. An electrical connector, which includes: a generally rectangular first portion having a body in which one or more first electrical contacts are mounted, and one or more tangs on each of two parallel sides of said body, each said tang having a thickened end portion; a generally rectangular second portion having a body in which one or more second electrical contacts are mounted, said one or more second electrical contacts mating with said one or more first contacts when the two portions are fitted together, channels extending through the body of said second portion, which channels are so placed as to receive the tangs on said first portion when said two portions are fitted together, and a groove on each side of said body on the face thereof remote from that which faces the first connector portion, said groove being adjacent to and opening into the tang-receiving channels on its side of the body; a cover for said second body portion which when in use fits over the face of said second body portion which faces away from said first connector portion, which cover has a longitudinally extending locating portion on each two of its sides, which locating portions can be received by said grooves, locating tongues so placed as to fit into said channels when the cover is on said second connector portion; and a locking device on each of two parallel outer sides of said cover, wherein each said locking device includes a flat strip like portion in a recess on its outer side of the cover, a spring in each said recess which urges its locking device towards said first body portion when the connector is assembled, and downwardly extending tongues on each said locking device which fit into said channels, wherein when the connector is assembled the tangs on said first connector portion and the tongues on said cover both fit into said grooves, wherein each said groove has its cover-facing portion wider than its other portion, wherein when the connector is assembled the tongues on the cover each forces the thickened end of the first connector portions tangs into said wider portion of the groove, thus locking the connector in the assembled position, and wherein manual movement of the locking devices disengages said tongues and said tangs to allow the portions to be separated.

5 6 2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, in References Cited which said two connector portions and said cover are UNITED STATES PATENTS madfi from the same plElSfiCS material. 2 4 4 543 3 94 Modrey 339 75X 3. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, and 2,542,144 51 Keams 339 128 X in which said plastics material is polypropylene. 5 3,146,052 8/ 1964 Burch et al 33991 4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, in which said first connector portion is a fixed connector MARVIN CHAMPION Pumary Examiner portion while said second connector portion is a free DONALD MILLER Examiwr' connector portion. I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR, WHICH INCLUDES: A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FIRST PORTION HAVING A BODY IN WHICH ONE OR MORE FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ARE MOUNTED, AND ONE OR MORE TANGS ON EACH OF TWO PARALLEL SIDES OF SAID BODY, EACH SAID TANG HAVING A THICKENED END PORTION; A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SECOND PORTION HAVING A BODY IN WHICH ONE OR MORE SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ARE MOUNTED, SAID ONE OR MORE SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MATING WITH SAID ONE OR MORE FIRST CONTACTS WHEN THE TWO PORTIONS ARE FITTED TOGETHER, CHANNELS EXTENDING THROUGH THE BODY OF SAID SECOND PORTION, WHICH CHANNELS ARE SO PLACED AS TO RECEIVE THE TANGS ON SAID FIRST PORTION WHEN SAID TWO PORTIONS ARE FITTED TOGETHER, AND A GROOVE ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BODY ON THE FACE THEREOF REMOTE FROM THAT WHICH FACES THE FIRST CONNECTOR PORTION, SAID GROOVE BEING ADJACENT TO AND OPENING INTO THE TANG-RECEIVING CHANNELS ON ITS SIDE OF THE BODY; A COVER FOR SAID SECOND BODY PORTION WHICH WHEN IN USE FITS OVER THE FACE OF SAID SECOND BODY PORTION WHICH FACES AWAY FROM SAID FIRST CONNECTOR PORTION, WHICH COVER HAS A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING LOCATING PORTION ON EACH TWO OF ITS SIDES, WHICH LOCATING PORTIONS CAN BE RECEIVED BY SAID GROOVES, LOCATING TONGUES SO PLACED AS TO FIT INTO SAID CHANNELS WHEN THE COVER IS ON SAID SECOND CONNECTOR PORTION; AND A LOCKING DEVICE ON EACH OF TWO PARALLEL OUTER SIDES OF SAID COVER, WHEREIN EACH SAID LOCKING DEVICE INCLUDES A FLAT STRIP LIKE PORTION IN A RECESS ON ITS OUTER SIDE OF THE COVER, A SPRING IN EACH SAID RECESS WHICH URGES ITS LOCKING DEVICE TOWARDS SAID FIRST BODY PORTION WHEN THE CONNECTOR IS ASSEMBLED, AND DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING TONGUES ON EACH SAID LOCKING DEVICE WHICH FIT INTO SAID CHANNELS, WHEREIN WHEN THE CONNECTOR IS ASSEMBLED THE TANGS ON SAID FIRST CONNECTOR PORTION AND THE TONGUES ON SAID COVER BOTH FIT INTO SAID GROOVES, WHEREIN EACH SAID GROOVE HAS ITS COVER-FACING PORTION WIDER THAN ITS OTHER PORTION, WHEREIN WHEN THE CONNECTOR IS ASSEMBLED THE TONGUES ON THE COVER EACH FORCES THE THICKENED END OF THE FIRST CONNECTOR PORTION''S TANGS INTO SAID WIDER PORTION OF THE GROOVE, THUS LOCKING THE CONNECTOR IN THE ASSEMBLED POSITION, AND WHEREIN MANUAL MOVEMENT OF THE LOCKING DEVICES DISENGAGES SAID TONGUES AND SAID TANGS TO ALLOW THE PORTIONS TO BE SEPARATED. 